Karnataka places three-year moratorium on new private PU colleges
The state government will stop granting permissions to establish new private pre-university colleges for the academic years 2027–28 to 2029–30.
The Karnataka government has decided to place a moratorium on granting permission to establish new private pre-university (PU) colleges for three consecutive academic years, from 2027–28 to 2029–30, according to The Hindu.
The decision aims to regulate private colleges and strengthen government PU institutions. The Karnataka Department of School Education (PU) has notified the draft of the (Academic, Registration, Administration, and Grant-in-Aid, etc.) (First Amendment) Rules, 2026, and is inviting objections and suggestions.
The move follows a trend where the number of available I PU seats is outpacing the number of students passing SSLC exams. For the 2026-27 year, 7.72 lakh seats were available in these colleges, while 6.54 lakh students passed the SSLC examination in 2025-26.
Data from the School Education Department (PU) shows that approximately 1.18 lakh I PU seats remain vacant across the state. Currently, there are 6,398 PU colleges in Karnataka, including 3,726 private, 1,371 government, and 811 aided institutions.
Ningegowda A.H., president of the Karnataka State Pre-University Colleges Lecturers’ Association, said the association welcomes the decision to hold permissions for three years. He also demanded that the government develop infrastructure in government colleges, fill vacancies, and increase student enrolment.